Polish PM to decry Brussels ‘populism’ in European Parliament address

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will stand firm behind his country's controversial judiciary reforms when he addresses the European Parliament on Wednesday, and even attempt to label Brussels' actions as "populist," according to speech notes seen by POLITICO.

Morawiecki will reiterate his defense of the judiciary reforms in his speech to MEPs, arguing that “constitutional pluralism” means “each state of the Union holds the right to shape its own legal system, in accordance with its traditions,” according to the notes.

Instead of advocating for populism, Morawiecki will cast his ruling Law and Justice party as merely popular and at the vanguard of “a democratic awakening” he says the EU sorely needs.

“Is meeting the expectations of our citizens truly populistic? Or maybe — it is the essence of democracy?” Morawiecki will say.

Morawiecki will also attempt to pin the label of populism on Brussels elites.

The European Commission in May proposed cutting Poland’s cohesion policy funds by 23 percent in the 2021-2027 budget. In response, Morawiecki will say: “It needs to be clearly stated that any attempt to restrict the cohesion policy is populistic. It is not important whether it is an anti-European populism, or the so-called pro-European populism, preached under the European flag.”

Yet Poland’s leader is also keen to show his country as a cooperative force on security, reducing tax evasion and fraud, and boosting public investment via the European Fund for Strategic Investments, also known as the Juncker Plan.

Morawiecki, who helped negotiate Poland’s entry into the EU before a successful career in finance, will also say that Europe’s post-war welfare state social contract is dead.

With Europe’s economic foundations shaken by new technology, globalization and a financial crisis, a new social order is needed, Morawiecki will argue.

Whatever form it takes, this new order should not ignore the wishes of citizens for security or Christianity’s historical role as “the essence of Europe,” he will say.

Instead of defining a country’s level of European solidarity through the lens of migration policy, Morawiecki will argue that the resolve of a country like Poland to resist Russia should also be taken into account.

He will conclude his speech by echoing a recent call by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to respect national-level power.

“European sovereignty cannot imply building the European Union at the expense of the member states’ strength, for the strength of the sovereign Europe stems from the strength of its members,” Morawiecki will say.